


i been looking for a thing to only let it go (so this world of lonely hearts)?

by sammyspreadyourwings



Series: Queen Prompts [77]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Anxiety, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Loneliness, Magical Realism, Multi, Pre-Relationship, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23808454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammyspreadyourwings/pseuds/sammyspreadyourwings
Summary: Brian finds a stray cat, it changes his life.
Relationships: John Deacon/Brian May/Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor
Series: Queen Prompts [77]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1265597
Comments: 17
Kudos: 67





	i been looking for a thing to only let it go (so this world of lonely hearts)?

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill.

Brian tosses the newspaper into the recycling bin. As usual, the rain surprises him, despite having lived in England his entire life. Before he shuts the door, he hears a soft noise. He frowns and turns around, peering enough outside of the door to keep dry. Yellow flashes at him.

“Mrow.”

“I’ll be right back,” Brian rushes to the bathroom to pull out the fluffiest (but oldest) towel he could find before rushing back to the front door.

The cat has leaped down from the windowsill onto the porch. He wraps the towel around the sopping wet thing. Brian kicks the door shut while cradling the cat in his arms.

“Hush, you poor thing,” Brian coos.

He wanders into the kitchen and turns on the tap for warm water. Brian grabs the first clean bowl he can find and sets it down on the ground. The cat, despite being stray seems content in curling up in his arms while he moves around.

Once he’s got a bowl of water, he quickly runs the towel over the cat, warming up its shivering body.

“There you are,” Brian sets it down, “I’m going to make a bed for you near the heater, hm?”

The cat flicks its tail in understanding. Brian leaves it to the water before grabbing the one box he hasn’t broken down yet and grabbing a few more old towels. A safe distance away from the heater, he admires his work.

“Well, you’ve got a bed.”

The cat looks up from the water. It really is beautiful, sleek black fur well maintained for a stray. Dark brown eyes stare at him before blinking slowly.

“That means you like me?”

He opens his fridge and frowns. Brian moves over to his cabinet where to his great relief there’s a single can of tuna. It probably isn’t the best thing to give the cat, but the poor thing is starving.

He drops it in a second bowl and sets it down to the floor. Brian scoops the cat up, who happily climbs up him and around his neck.

“This is your bed,” Brian crouches.

The cat purrs.

“Okay, let’s get you back to your dinner.”

“Mrow!”

Brian watches the cat devour the tuna. He smiles when it looks up and licks its lips.

“Night.”

When Brian wakes up the cat is gone. He tries to not be so disappointed; it was a stray (likely dumped as a kitten) looking to get out of the rain. It had been nice, though to have something to talk to, even for a little bit. Maybe he should adopt a cat? Surely the shelter will have one that he gets along with.

* * *

On Saturday morning he is woken by something scratching at his window. He’s confused for a moment before he realizes he fell asleep while playing. Brian sets the guitar in her stand, before wandering to the window to see what had woken him up.

It’s not even half six.

He pushes open the window only to jump back in surprise when a black blur jumps in.

“You’re back,” Brian crouches to stroke the cat under its chin.

A second blur jumps in. This one a magnificent gold, its hair matted in some places. It trots up to him and weaves between his legs. Brian pets it, trying to avoid the mats. Hopefully, they won’t have to shave it.

The black one jumps back on the window, “Mrow!”

A third one jumps up. It looks younger than the other two. This one is dark brown with medium length hair and tiny white markings that make it look like booties.

“Had to convince your friends?” Brian asks the black one.

It blinks.

“Well, I suppose if you’ll have me, I’ll have you three.”

The black cat resumes its spot around his neck. The yellow one almost seems as though it is pouting, and unsurprisingly the brown one is sniffing away from him and at the box.

“We’ll go, well, I’ll go supplies shopping for you three, but let’s see if we can’t find a vet open on Saturday.”

The black cat flexes its claws into his shoulder.

“Not that I think you’re carrying anything,” Brian soothes, “but I’d rather not risk it. Plus I think a stranger looking at your bits will make everyone more comfortable.”

He must think of names for them.

There is a singular vet clinic in his part of town that opens at eight. Brian has a strange moment of trying to figure out how to get them all into the car and clinic without the mayhem three cats could cause.

Does he still have the dog kennel that his ex left?

* * *

Brian quickly grows accustomed to his three little supernovas. The vet had put him on the spot for names, and so his boys had been stuck with the first thing he could think of. Cosmos takes up his job of being Brian’s neck warmer, flicking his tail in Brian’s face every so often when he needs a break. Helios frequently makes a nuisance of himself, knocking things off desks or tables when he has been ignored.

Usually, Brian must brush him to get him to stop before he escalates to glass things.

Finally, Umbra takes up residence on his lap most of the day before growing bored and napping elsewhere.

Needless to say, Brian has gotten used to cat hair in places it shouldn’t be and his boys clinging to him all hours that he is home. Yelling at him when as soon as he gets home from lecturing or playing with his old band. Then proceeding to spend the rest of the day, just out of reach like they’re playing hard to get.

“Fine, don’t love me. See if you get a snack after dinner.”

That usually gets them to come around.

The one thing that he can’t adjust to is touching himself with the cats in the room. Since they run his house now, he struggles to kick him out of his bedroom. Otherwise, they just watch him try to calm down his morning wood with almost smug looks on their faces.

“I could cut your balls off,” he grouses before loudly slamming the door to the bathroom.

Sure enough, there are two loud yells from the outside and a tiny white foot poking under the door.

“Fifteen minutes! I swear. Then you’ll get your breakfast!”

As he said, he’s not touching himself with the cats in earshot and resigns himself to cold showers those mornings.

* * *

Thing progress like that for a month. Brian busies himself with his work and writing songs no one will here and playing with his cats. He doesn’t realize how lonely he is until he bumps into Chrissie at a music festival. She is with her fiancé, judging by the impressive diamond on her finger, and the fact she looks more than a little pregnant.

“Brian May?”

“Chrissie! Hello, dear, how are you?”

“Wonderful!” They kiss each other on the cheek in greeting.

“How about yourself, still enjoying that paper avalanche you call an office?”

Brian grins, “well, you’ll be happy to know summer has come.”

“Did they fall over and the janitor gave up?”

“More like I gave up. Scanned everything and put it on a flash drive.”

Chrissie laughs, “I knew you’d listen eventually. You know, we’re going to be having a baby shower in, oh, what’s the date sweetie?”

Chrissie fiancé, who looks pleasant enough (so he trusts Chrissie, or she hasn’t mentioned Brian as her ex), pauses, “I think two weeks from Sunday?”

“Ah yes. Do you still at the flat on Warren?”

Brian nods, “yes.”

“I’ll send you a card. I do hope you show,” Chrissie winks, “I have some friends who are exactly your type.”  
Brian wonders if she meant the women he used to go after or the men he is now actively pursuing. Or would be, if he went out.

“Thanks!”

Chrissie smiles at him, before grasping her fiance’s hand, “oh, Brian this is Richard, Richard this is Brian.”

“Pleasure,” Brian extends his hand.

“Charmed.”

Brian leaves the festival shortly after that, but not before he slips into a nearby liquor store and buys three of the biggest bottles of “get drunk quick!” alcohol. The clerk looks at him with a frown.

“Having a party,” Brian supplies.

A pity party with his cats. Truly. He has peaked and he’s not even thirty.

As expected, Helios yowls (more like screeches) as soon as he crosses the barrier. He hears the jingle of Umbra’s collar and Cosmos stretches as he stands from where he was sunning himself. Brian sends the boys a grin but wanders into the kitchen. He makes sure to serve out the proper portions and refill their main water.

Cosmos stretches up his leg, wanting to be picked up. Helios jumps up on the counter, Brian promptly sets him on the ground but that’s when Cosmos attempts to claim his spot.

“Sorry, boys, I’m not in the mood for cuddling tonight.”

“Brrow?”

He flicks his eyes down to Umbra who is staring at him with judgmental eyes.

“I’m an adult you know.”

Brian drops Cosmos on top of Helios (gently), which causes a tiny disgruntled scuffle. It’s enough for him to fill the first shot glass and knock it back. He doesn’t wait for the burn to disappear before he’s knocking back the second.

By the time he’s on his third, the boys have gotten themselves straightened out. Brian is already feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. Not trusting himself (and there’s no one else in the house) he grabs the open bottle as he sways to the living room.

He pulls from the bottle directly clutching the neck tightly. By the time the bottle is a quarter of the way gone, he feels all of his anxiety melt away. Brian sips again.

This time Helios jumps on his chest, looking annoyed at the bottle.

“Can’t have any kitty.”

“Brru.”

He takes another sip. Umbra scratches his hand. Brian drops the bottle. It rattles but doesn’t tip over. He cradles his scratched hand and the tears start coming.

“Even my cats don’t love me,” he whines pitifully.

Cosmos curls up on his shoulder.

“I’m going to die alone, and not even my cats will care.”

Umbra looks guilty and Helios seems offended. Great. Now he’s projecting feelings on to felines.

“I thought that I’d always have you three. Well until you die because cats don’t live as long as humans.”

Which sends him into another fit of tears. Helios lays across his face.

“Please suffocate me.”

“Brru.”

Umbra jumps up and stretches across his lower stomach. Brian sniffles and reaches for the bottle. His fingers wrap around it and he has a second of confusion as he tries to figure out how to drink around the cat.

He manages by pushing Helios to his neck. It does make him choke, but he gets another pull from the bottle. Drinking any more than this is going to give him alcohol poisoning, and he seriously doubts that his cats are going to be able to figure out enough to not let him choke on his own vomit.

“God, I wish someone would love me.”

* * *

Brian wakes up to three very naked men panicking in his living room. It’s dark outside and he decides that he is both too early and too drunk to deal with this.

* * *

When he wakes up the second time. A throbbing headache, but pills and water in reach he figures he must’ve hallucinated the men. At some point, he must’ve stumbled to the bathroom to make sure his morning is somewhat tolerable.

Way to go past him.

Brian opens his eyes fully, and much to his surprise there are still three men in his living room. This time they aren’t naked. They are in his clothes though. He hopes they shut the door so the cats don’t get out.

“Where are my cats?”

“Funny story,” the dark-haired one says.

“We’re your cats. Well. We weren’t actually cats? Actually, we are but not really?”

Brian blinks at the blond, “what?”

“Do you believe in magic?” The dark-haired one says.

“No.”

“Oh. Well.”

“That’s fair,” the brunette says.

Brian looks between them all, wondering if he’s just having a fever dream.

The dark-haired one steps forward, “you see, these two slept with a witch and didn’t call her back, and I slept with her brother and didn’t call him back, and who knew witches were real?”

“And the curse?”

“Full moon,” the brunette says, “only true love’s kiss can break it, but every full moon we have a chance to break it.”

“Ah.”

Brian raises his eyes to the heavens. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do about this.

“What are your names?”

The three blink at him in surprise.

“Human names,” Brian says, “I’m sure you don’t want me calling you the names I’ve given you for the rest of your time here.”  
Because obviously, they’re going to leave him. Just like everyone else does. Brian bites back the tears and waits for his answer.

“I’m Freddie,” the dark-haired one says, “Cosmos, as you like to call me.”

“Roger!” The blond chirps, “or Helios.”

Brian turns towards the brunette, “so you’re Umbra?”

“Or John.”

“Do you want breakfast? That doesn’t come from a tin?”

The three nod excitedly. Brian shrugs. At least he’ll have company for the day. Maybe this really is a dream, it’s a good one, so he might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, leave your thoughts and comment below or come talk to me on Tumblr.


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